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Home ---> Europe (Legacy) ---> UK ---> Virgin Atlantic Airways

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Operator Classification
	Operator name:	Virgin Atlantic Airways
	Operator type:	Legacy
	Region:	Europe
	Country:	UK

Pilots' Detailed Payscale - please state whether payscale is before or after tax (pension, per diems and brief payscale are listed further down the page)
	Effective from:	January 2026	Listed pay rates are: (yearly, hourly etc)	Yearly gross at full time work. Income tax between 30% and 50% in the UK. If not in the UK, you can pay tax where you reside but must fill out form 690 with HMRC and they will reduce your tax to circa 12%.
	Currency:	GBP	Guaranteed hours: (if applicable)	60hrs minimum. Hours are not guaranteed but is irrelevant.
		(click here to use the currency converter)	Guaranteed hours: (if applicable)
	Addtional notes:	Basic Salary

Submit new detailed payscale (clears all the cells for you before you put the new information in). *Edit* the detailed payscale currently listed below (keeps all the current information in the cells and allows you to edit it). Leave detailed payscale unchanged.

Fleet

A330&B787

Rank

CPT

FO 3000h+

FO 3000h-

Manager

TRE

TRI

LTC

TrainingFO

Year

£145,521

£143,490

£223,860

£141,495

£220,735

£139,532

£217,672

£136,718

£214,652

£133,974

£210,321

£131,296

£206,098

£128,681

£201,977

£126,134

£197,957

£123,647

£194,035

£121,220

£190,206

£118,850

£186,472

£116,541

£182,832

£114,286

£179,279

£112,099

£100,661

£175,815

£109,921

£97,513

+25% - 36%

+21%

+17%

+13%

+10%

Brief Payscale (please state whether before or after tax) (please ignore if the detailed payscale above is up to date)			last update
	Capt top	YR 14 CAPT £239,860 (Basic salary + flying pay)	4/Nov/25
	Capt base	YR 1 CAPT £206,399 (Basic salary + flying pay)	4/Nov/25
	FO top	YR 14 SFO £145,521 (Basic salary + flying pay)	4/Nov/25
	FO base	YR 1 FO £101,680 (Basic salary + flying pay)	4/Nov/25
	SO top	£90,657	14/Jul/25
	SO base	£89,122	14/Jul/25
	FE top
	FE base

Flight Pay / Per Diem			last update
	Capt	Tax free HMRC allowance calculated on time spent downroute. Anyware between $160 daily for US destinations and $30 per day for African destinations	3/Nov/25
	FO	Tax free HMRC allowance calculated on time spent downroute. Anyware between $160 daily for US destinations and $30 per day for African destinations	3/Nov/25
	SO	Tax free HMRC allowance calculated on time spent downroute. Anyware between $160 daily for US destinations and $30 per day for African destinations	3/Nov/25
	FE

Pension Details			last update
	Maximum is 15% employer, 6% employee salary sacrifice. Invested in pension fund which (should) grow over time		3/Nov/25

Conditions			last update
	Roster	Significantly improved. Protections returned to pre-pandemic agreements. Minimum 10 days off , avg is 14. 750 hour, booster and commuter contracts available. Protections still not implemented after the deal was agreed. Updates from management stating this is due to establishment figures but in the same verse the company believes we have the correct establishment on some fleets. Leave wrap around days will not be honoured and no word on when the enhanced contracts will be available.	6/Sep/24
	Leave	35 days to start with, 1 day extra for every year completed up to max 5 days.	24/Jul/25
	Staff travel	At full time per calendar year: 7 free of fare standby Virgin tickets (you pay airport taxes), 1 'ace' ticket for husband/wife which puts them on the top of the standby list on a flight, unlimited discounted Virgin tickets (price depends on season and loads), after 10, 15, 20, 25 years seniority: 1 PAFT ticket which again puts you at the top of the standby list, 20 yearly tickets for 'mates' so basically anyone you fancy, unlimited MyIDTravel travel for direct family (spouse, parents, siblings, children and 1 person of choice). Discounted tickets with partner Delta, KLM & Air France. After 25 years seniority unlimited Virgin lounge access for you and anyone you bring along. All in all one of the best staff travel benefits in the industry in my opinion.	3/Nov/25
	Discounted holidays	Discounts at IHG and Accor hotel group.	3/Nov/25

Employment Situation For Pilots		last update
	Current Situation:
	Mainly hiring for Airbus. Main focus is on lifestyle which the company has signed back in 2024 but very slow to implement. This will be the main focus over the next few years as pilots want pre-covid lifestyle back. Management actively recruiting pilots in order to implement this. Brexit and global shortage does not help the above.	3/Nov/25

	Outlook:
	Mainly recruiting for Airbus as most upgrades are Airbus bound and B789 is well crewed (B789 have the best lifestyle).	3/Nov/25

	Overall Situation (+ve/neutral/-ve):
	Positive	3/Nov/25

Entry Requirements		last update
	Captain
	No DEP CAPT recruitment. Only internal upgrades at VAA from right to left seat. Time to command circa. 6 years, due to ongoing retirements. Some B787 SFOs have transitioned across to 330/350 fleet for upgrades as Airbus has a shortfall of Captains. New Captains on the Airbus fleet will be SFF (Single fleet flying) both fleets (A330-300/900) & A350-1000.	4/Nov/25

	FO
	Hold a current UK Class One Medical • Unfrozen ATPL licence issued by the UK CAA at the date of joining. • A valid type rating on your UK license, on one of the aircraft types highlighted above. • The ability to demonstrate a high level of proficiency in English (certified as ICAO level 6 English Proficiency when applying)	3/Jun/24

	SO
	No more S/O recruitment.	7/Aug/24

	FE


	Scholorship


Recruitment Process		last update
	Online tests, sim assessment, HR interview	14/Jul/25

Fleet		last update
	Current:
	5x A339, 10x A333, 12x A350-1000, 17x B787	5/Aug/24

	Orders:
	14x A339	5/Aug/24

Recruitment Contact For Pilots		last update
	Preferred method of application:
	Internal recruitment. Apply through website. Recommendation by Virgin pilots helps.	14/Jul/25

	Name:

	Job Title:

	Address:
	VHQ, Fleming Way, Crawley RH10 9DF, United Kingdom	14/Jul/25

	Tel:
	Fax:
	Email:

	Website:
	https://careers.virginatlantic.com/pilots	14/Jul/25
	Pilot vacancies webpage:
	https://careers.virginatlantic.com/pilots	14/Jul/25
	Online application form link:
	https://careers.virginatlantic.com/pilots	14/Jul/25

Bases For Pilots		last update
	LHR & MAN (MAN is Airbus at the moment) very rarely EDI	14/Jul/25

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